Crowell m



No. 6l|,680. Patented 0st. 4, I898. I y

. c. m. nlssnswAv. I REVERSIBLE RAILWAY RAIL.

(Application filed Jan. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

' IN ENTOR ATTO R N EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OROlVELIl M. DISSOSWVAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOHN GOODCHILD, OF SAME PLACE. I

REVERSIBLE RAILWAY-RAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,680, dated October4, 1898.

Application filed nuary 14, 1898. Serial No. 666,6 25. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CROWELL M. DISSOS- WAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the cit-y, county, and State of New York, borough ofManhattan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReversible Railway-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of double-headed reversible rails;and the object is to provide a rail of this character which may beconveniently rolled, which will have a firm support forits operativehead, which may be rigidly secured to the rail base or chair, and whichmay when required be constructed with a suitable wheel-guard.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustratinga constructionespecially well adapted to streetrailway tracks and wherein thewheel-guard is formed integrally on the rail-base. This figure alsoillustrates a rail-securing device, which forms an auxiliary support forthe operative head of the rail. Fig. 2 isa View similar to Fig. 1, butshowing the reversible rail bolted directly to the rail base or chair.Fig. 3 is a View illustrating a gib-and-key securing device, which maybe substituted for the bolts of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig.1

1, illustrating a construction adapted for railways in general. Fig. 5isan end view of the double-headed rail detached; This rail has the sameform in all of the constructions shown, difiering only slightly inproportions.

In most respects the several forms or constructions illustrated in thedrawings are alike; but for convenience I will first describe thatillustrated in Fig. 1, with reference also to Fig. 5.

The reversible rail A has two like heads a a of substantiallyrectangular cross-section, these heads being integrally connected by anupright web b, the web joining the respective juxtaposed or inner facesof the heads out of or to one side of a plane passing through theirlongitudinal axis, and so that while the rail as a whole is symmetricalwhen the Web 1) is vertical a vertical plane through the web will dividethe rail-heads unsymmetrically, the excess of one head being on theopposite side of the plane from that of the other. Thus the web I)divides the rail-heads unsymmetrically. This unsymmetrical division ofthe heads is clearly shown in Fig. 5, where the railis seen detached.

The head a, which may be for the time being uppermost and on which thewheel of the car runs, I call the operative head. It rests directly onthe crown or head of a railbase B, which comprises as its essentials anupright web d, a flanged foot 6, and flanged head g, which projects outlaterally from the web (I and fits into one of the recesses (00 in Fig.5) between the heads a a of the rail, the upper or operative head of therail being supported firmly on the crown of the head 9 of the rail-base.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a wheel-guard his formed integrally with the head g ofthe rail-base B, said guard curving upward at the inside of the rail, asclearly shown, and leaving a channel between the guard and rail-head forthe flange of the car-wheel. I

It will be noted that so far as described only the major portion of thewidth of the operative head of the rail is supported, and that on thecrown of the rail-base B; but the construction shown in Fig. 1 providesalso an auxiliary support at the outer margin of this rail-head, suchsupport being derived from the clip O,which forms an element of thedevice which secures the rail to the base B. This clip has a lip i,which takes under the inner margin of the operative head of the rail,while at its lower part it has a shoulder j, which rests on the flangedfoot 8 of the railbase. A screw-threaded tie-rod k, extending across thetrack from rail-base to rail-base, extends through the web of therail-base and through the clip 0 and has a nut m on its outer end,whereby the clip 0 may be forced up in such a manner as to clamp therail up laterally to the rail-base. Of course it is not essential thatthe rod 70 shall extend across the track in a manner to tie the tworailbases together. Any one skilled in the art will understand that thisrod might be cut ofi just inside of the web of the base 13 and have asuitable head, in which case it would become an ordinary bolt. In anycase it might not be found necessary to have a tie-rod at every point offastening, especially where the base B is made continuous and breaksjoints with the reversible rails.

Fig. 2 shows the same construction as that already described, exceptthat the web Z) of the rail and the head 9 of the rail-base are madedeeper to provide room for bolts 11, which extend through said web andhead and form securing devices in lieu of the clip 0, Fig. 1, forsecuring the reversible rail to the rail-base. It will be understood,however, that the head 9 and web 17 of the construction shown in Fig. 1may be made as deep as these parts are shown to be in Fig. 2 and alsothat both of the forms of fastenings-that of Fig. 1 and that of Fig.2may be used at different points along the same line of rails.

Fig. 3 shows a gib-and-key securing device, which may be used in lieu ofbolts n. In this view, which is a horizontal section of therailweb andrail-base head, 0 is the key, 13 p the gibs, and 0 a nut on thescrew-threaded stem of the key.

Fig. 4 illustrates the application of the invention to the ordinarysurface railway, the flanges of the base being represented as spiked tothe ties and the web (1 of the base reduced in height. In thisconstruction the wheel-guard is omitted and bolts n are employed, as inFig. 2, to secure the web of the reversible rail to the head of therail-base. It is desirable, unless the rail is quite heavy, to extendthe rail-bases B continuously under the rails, abutting them end to end,like the rails, but breaking joints with the latter. This isnot,however, absolutely essential to my invention. The rail-bases mightbe placed only under the joints between the sections of the rail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a railway-rail, thecombination with a rail-base, of a reversible rail having twounsymmetrically-divided heads connected by an upright web, as described,the operative or upper head, being seated directly on the crown of therail-base and the reversible rail Wholly supported at this point, andmeans for securifng the rail to the base, substantially as set orth.

2. In a railway-rail, the combination with a rail-base having a flangedhead 9 which projects laterally, as described, of a reversible railhaving two unsymmetrically divided heads a, a, connected together by aweb I), the operative head of the rail being seated directly on the headof the rail-base and said flanged head 9 projecting laterally into thespace between the rail-heads, and means for securing the rail to thebase, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway-rail, the combination with a rail-base having awheel-guard it formed integrally therewith, of a reversible rail havingtwo unsymmetrically-divided heads connected by a web, the operative headof the rail resting directly on the rail-base, and means for securingthe rail to the base, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a railway-rail, the combination with a rail-base having anupright web, a flanged foot, and a head, and a reversible rail havingtwo heads connected together by a web, whereby recesses as are formedbetween said heads at either side of the connecting-web, the operativehead of the rail resting upon the head of the rail-base, of a clip 0,having a lip '1? which takes under the operating-head of the rail and ashoulder j which is supported 011 the rail-base below, and meanssubstantially as described for securing said rail-base, rail and clipfirmly together.

5. In a railway-rail, the combination with a rail-base having a flangedhead which projects laterally, of a reversible rail supported wholly onthe crown of said base, said rail having two unsymmetrically-dividedheads a, a, connected by an upright web I), the operating, or upper headbeing seated on the crown of the rail-base and the lower head beingsuspended and taking under the flanged head on the railbase, and meansfor securing the rail to the base, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 11th day ofJanuary, 1898, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OROWELL M. DISSOSWAY.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Boss, HENRY CONNETT.

